2011 Traffic Fatality Number Lowest Since 1944

Eastbound traffic passes by on Interstate 80 near the 244 mile marker in Iowa City on the afternoon of Friday, September 30, 2011. (Matt Nelson/SourceMedia Group News)

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By Aaron Hepker

Story Created: Feb 2, 2012 at 12:07 PM CDT

Story Updated: Feb 2, 2012 at 6:09 PM CDT

AMES, Iowa — A 6.6 percent drop in Iowa traffic fatalities last year brought the state’s traffic death toll to its lowest level since 1944.

The state said 364 traffic deaths occurred in 2011, down from 390 in 2010.

September was the worst month for traffic fatalities, with 42, up from 30 in September 2010. March was the second-worst month, with 41, compared to 19 in March 2010.

Returning to 1944 traffic fatality levels is remarkable because of the dramatic growth in the number of registered vehicles and paved highway miles in the Iowa, Department of Transportation reported.

The fatality rate has dropped from 4.43 fatalities for every 10,000 registered vehicles in 1944 to less than one fatality per 10,000 registered vehicles in 2011.

Traffic deaths have been on an overall pattern of decline in recent years, but climbed by 19 in 2010 and by seven in 2007.

There appears to be room for improvement in future years. The DOT said 116 people who died in Iowa traffic deaths in 2011 were not wearing seat belts, accounting for 41 percent of the fatalities. In another 50 fatalities, investigating officers could not determine if seat belts were worn.

DOT officials also track the number of people who escaped serious injury or death in accidents as a result of seat belt use. In 2011, that statistic, called Life Toll, stood at 208.

The decline in traffic deaths is due to improvements in vehicle safety, highway design, and highway safety laws, DOT officials said. They included advancements such as shoulder rumble strips, installation of median cable barriers, and a graduated driver’s license system aimed at increasing the skills of beginning drivers.

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